The Sunflower movement prompted Taiwanese to re-examine the dangers of overrelying on the Chinese market and the shift toward participation in the global trade system, which paved the way for economic growth and societal stability, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, on the 12th anniversary of the movement.
Lai made the remarks at the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, party spokeswoman Han Ying (韓瑩) said after the meeting.
March 16 is the 36th anniversary of the Wild Lily Student Movement in 1990, which drove the full re-election of the legislature and paved the way for the direct popular presidential election in 1996, she cited Lai as saying.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Taiwan achieved its first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in 2000, establishing that “the people are the masters of the nation,” he said.
The Sunflower movement, which began on March 18, 2014, and the courage of the students and civil society stopped Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers from rushing the approval of a cross-strait trade agreement, forcing a national conversation on Taiwan’s economic trajectory, Lai said.
Before the movement, the KMT administration had closely tied Taiwan’s economy to China, causing the country’s economic development to grind to a halt, he said, adding that the DPP’s decade of governance has pushed for businesses to “stay rooted in Taiwan while expanding and investing globally.”
This strategy helped Taiwan break free from depending on China and to reach out to the world, allowing development to become more multifaceted and resilient, and resulting in a flourishing and robust economy, Lai said.
Separately, the DPP wrote on social media that by reflecting on history, the value of Taiwan’s hard-won freedom becomes even more apparent, adding that the party remains committed to standing alongside the people in defending the nation’s way of life.
The movement helped Taiwan steer clear of deeper economic integration and dependence on China, allowing it to preserve its industrial edge and economic safety as global supply chains shifted, it said, adding that the DPP vows to never let the nation’s economy and security return to the old path of being shackled to China again.
National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), a prominent leader of the Sunflower movement, in a social media post thanked the people who participated in the movement, saying it helped to reshape Taiwan’s economic and international trajectory.
The nation shifted from a China-oriented export structure — which accounted for 83.8 percent of exports in 2014 — to a more diverse model, lowering Chinese exports to 3.75 percent and expanding trade with the US, the EU, Japan and Southeast Asia, he said.
This diversification has helped sustain Taiwan’s economic growth and mitigate the impact of China’s economic slowdown, Lin said.
Monday next week would mark the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, he said, adding that the milestone reflects the progress of the nation’s democracy.
Despite ongoing domestic political divisions and external pressure from China, Taiwan should remain proactive and confident in its ability to contribute to the international community, an approach supported by the DPP and Lai, he added.
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